The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-28

lace anu other details. We stared at it for
half d minute, and then the captain pulled
his revolver and banged away. There was
q sort of groan following his shot and when
the smoke cleared we took a light and
searched in vain for traces OF our mysterious
visitor. He had depar ed. II was confessed
! TO the owners and to the press that the Off
GERS and crew of that brig slept on deck every
night after that until the end of the VOYAGE
! Indeed there were only two sailors among
the crew who would venture into the fore
| castle in the DAYTIME and the Steward could
not have been kept in his place except by
threats. We We're ridiculed AMI laughed at
as crew, but it is a matter OF history that
| the Charles never made another VOYAGE
! She could not get charter, nor could She
have got a crew if she had, aud after rotting
IN ordinary for a couple of years she was
knocked to pieces.
My second experience was on the shin
Homeward. | shipped on her at Liverpool
/ for voyage to the Cape of Good Hope and
return. had not set eyes on her, and knew
her only by name when | went aboard with
my traps. had first mates berth, and
| understood that the officer filling that place
had been taken suddenly ill two DAYS before.
| Theship was ready to sail, and | had to
| hustle aboard W thout making inquiries. As
L approached her encountered man skulk-
ing away, and believing him to be desert
er, reached out for him. / got his collar,
but he broke my hold and as be ran away |
heard him say:
AYE, but I'd sooner sail the sea in a cof-
| fin"
gave this remark little attention, even
when l found out aboard that he was act
ually deserter. He was one of six men
who had come off to the ship in the morning,
and nobody could tell why he had cut sticks
We had pretty good idea three or four days
| later.
| There were only five men aboard when
climbed over the rail-only five sailors. The
cook and steward were there, as also a
cabin boy, but the captain was ashore and
no one could tell me whether second mate
had been shipped or not. About midnight
the shipping agents sent me eleven or twelve
men, every one of them helplessly drunk,
and little latter on came the captain. He
had been drinking heavily, and after trying
to tell me his name and failing to understand
mine, he went to his cabin with the order
that | should call him at 6 O'Clock. We were
| all ready to warp out, the work of only half
an h)ur from our berth, and the tide would
not serve until midforenoon. | appointed a
shipkeeper and turned in myself, but the
DRUM ken fellows were bound to have their
| farewell carouse, and got no sleep through
the night. Less than half of them were of
any use next morning in warping the ship
\ out. The captain came on deck perfectly
sober, and when said something about the
| condition of the crew he replied:
| Eyes. it's beaStly, Mr.. Temple, but we
couldn't have got 'em aboard sober, you
| know. Let a whisper get out about a craft
and sailors act like fools"
had my mouth open to ask what stories
were in circulation regarding theHomeward,
when the captain, whose name was Robin
son, gave me an order and walked away
The second mate, who seemed to have been
on spree with the men, came up and in
troduced himself His name was Anderson,
and he apologized for his presence by say
ing:
81 hung out to the very last, hoping to get
another ship, but had to take the berth.
Do you think they are very badF'
| "Whatr
| 1.-The ghosts"
''Is this haunted shipP'
| "Didn't you know it was' They say she
has been deserted in every port and that
she changes captains every trip; but perhaps
| it is only sailor talk. ! hope we shall have
no trouble SIR"
He sided away in half ashamed manner,
and all hands, or all who were of any use, at
once began warping the ship out, and before
noon we were on our way out. After we
were fairl off, the men began to knock
themselves together, the captain and second
mate acted like different men, and when
the watches were set / had forgotten the
words dropped by Mr.. Anderson. He was
a thorouglr sailor and full of discipline, and
one would have Judged by his face that he
had great force of character.
| Nothing occurred to create an alarm for
three days. Then. one night during my
watch, man in the captains watch, who
was below, came on deck and said to me:
"Mr. Temple, it must be that we have a
stowaw way aboard. We have heard groans
and signs and sobs for the last two nights,
and some of the mel declare the ship is
| haunted. There comes the watch, sir, driven
out by the noises. Won't you please make a
| search!"
1t was true that every man in the cap
tain's watch had tumbled up, and | knew
that they must be badly frightened to thus
exhibit themselves. l took long look at
the weather, saw that everything was fair,
| and then descended to the forecaStie alone.
Not man dared to follow me down there.
| wasn't even nervous. If there We're groans
and cries they must come from some poor
devil who had secreted himself in the hold,
| and who was now ill and starving. | had
only reached the foot of the ladder when |
felt the touch of an icy hand on my face,
and the next instant my hair was on end
Some one was signing, grooming, and
weeping. The sounds did not come from
any one direction At one moment they
seemed to come from the very eyes of the
ship and the next they were heard at the
bulkhead which divided the place from the
hold felt, too, all the time as if some
body was moving about me, and put up
my hand to prevent my throat being clutch
ed. l frankly edmit to you that / was
scared, but l was determined not to show my
feelings to the men, and as | went on deck
again | carelessly said to them:
1.-The noises come from the hold. Some
one has slowed himself away. and we'll
have him out tomorrow"
left it with them to go back or remain
on deck, and not one of them, nor yet man
in my own watch, would go below until
daylight came, when, strange to say, the
noises died entirely away. The captain and
Mr. Anderson both saw that something was
wrong as soon as they came on deck. The
captain received the news very quietly ask
ing question now and then, and when |
had finished he replied:
Every well, sir. After the men have
had their breakfast we will search the hol ~
We had one, but it was fruitless of result.
1t was thorough enough to covince us that
no person was hidden away The captain
mad very little TO say, seeming, as thought,
greatly distressed in mind, but / finally
brought Mr.. Anderson over to agree with
me that the noises were produced by the
rubbing of the cargo though why we should
NOT hear them in the daytjme as we'll could